


Tell Me the Bad Times Are Clean Washed Away

by biextroverts



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 02:24:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6404860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biextroverts/pseuds/biextroverts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A movie night sans Martha has Heather McNamara and Veronica discussing college and the fear of losing one another after so recently becoming friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell Me the Bad Times Are Clean Washed Away

**Author's Note:**

> The timeline of this fic is distinctly musicalverse, as is Veronica's characterization, more or less. Heather's characterization is a mix but I think it leans more towards filmverse (read: no cemetery scene).
> 
> Title is from "Suddenly Seymour" from Little Shop of Horrors.

     They lie on their backs on Veronica's old checkered picnic blanket in Heather's backyard and stargaze – or, more accurately, perhaps, Veronica stargazes and Heather tries to make out the shapes she's supposed to see, the lines she's supposed to draw between the distant pinpricks of light. She can't understand how people ever saw queens and warriors and beasts in the night sky. Nevertheless, she feels more peaceful than she has in ages. Something about just being here with Veronica is...magical? That's really the only word Heather can think of for it. She clears her throat to speak.

     “I...” Heather says. The night air is cool and moist on her skin, and it chills her throat and lungs when she inhales. She glances over at Veronica. The dark-haired girl lies with her head turned to face Heather; she wears an expression that Heather doesn't quite know how to define. Amusement? Bemusement? Wry...ness...?

     Heather looks up and finds Orion – it's the only constellation she can pinpoint. “It's been nice,” she says, finally, “being friends with you, I mean. The words are like a weight off her chest. “Thank you for...” she trails off. She can't quite bring herself to say _thank you for stopping me from killing myself;_ even some less explicit wording - _“thank you for stopping me from ending it”_ – would bring her closer than she'd like to a statement of truth. She swallows.

     “Of course,” Veronica says. “Anytime.” When Heather glances over at her again, she's looking up at the sky, something distant and familiar in her eyes. “It's been nice being friends with you, too, Heather.”

     She sits up suddenly,  hugging her knees to herself. “I can't believe we've only got two more months,” she says. “'Till graduation. And only two more after that until I leave for Rhode Island. I wish...well, I don't know, actually. I wish we could have longer? I wish we could've become friends earlier? I wish...”

     Heather sits up, too, and elbows Veronica playfully. “Hey,” she says brightly, “At least you'll be getting out of Sherwood, Ohio, right? And Brown – that's a good school! One of your top choices!”

      “Yeah,” Veronica grins and gives a little laugh. “I'll miss you, though. And Martha. You guys'll have each other at Ohio State, but I'll be all the way on the  e ast  c oast. It's like another world there. I mean, I thought I wanted another world – I still do, I guess, but there's positives to this world, too.”

      “It's not like you can't come back and visit,” Heather says. “And we can visit you –  Rhode Island isn't far from New York, right? We could all go to the city together!”

     Veronica laughs. “It's like two hundred miles. Maybe on break or something, but it's not exactly a day trip.”

     Heather shrugs. “It'd be great! We could go shopping, see a show...”

     “Visit the museums! I'd give anything to spend a day at the Met.” Veronica reaches out for Heather's hand and swings their arms back and forth a little bit. She scoots back so she's sitting next to Heather with their clasped hands between them; their shoulders just barely touch, and Heather wonders if Veronica feels the fizzy, carbonated sort of feeling too. “A couple days in New York with my best friends. It does sound amazing.” She lies back down, but she doesn't release Heather's hand.

     “See?” Heather says. “We'll be fine. We won't stop being friends just because we're leaving for different schools.” She blushes a little, and smiles cautiously. “We're too important to each other for that...at least, I know you're too important to me.” She ducks her head, embarrassed by the honesty of her words. “Sorry,” she mumbles through the curtain of hair that obscures her face, “if I was...If that was...”

      She feels Veronica's  hand slid e up from her own to her elbow, and then to her shoulder, where it rests lightly. “Of course you're important to me, Heather,” she says.

      Heather parts her blonde veil to look at Veronica. She's sitting up again, looking into Heather's eyes with a tenderness that belies her snarky exterior. Heather feels a rush of gratitude and admiration go through her all at once, and she straightens her neck, shaking her hair out. “ I'm sorry,” she says again.

     Veronica's hand slides up to caress the back of her neck. She's practically straddling Heather's lap now, to ease the strain on her extended arm, and Heather is acutely aware of it; she leans back a little, steadying herself by planting her hands on the blanket beneath them. “You don't have to apologize,” Veronica says earnestly.

     Heather bites her lip.  “ Sorry.”  


     “I –” Veronica tosses her head back and sighs deeply. When she brings her head back forward, she doesn't stop –  it takes Heather a moment to realize what's happening, and in that moment Veronica's lips have caught hers. She squeaks, and her hands skid across the blanket; she falls to propping herself up on her elbows, and Veronica follows her. Her hand remains on the back of Heather's neck, and her other hand comes up to Heather's back. She swings her legs over off of Heather lap so she's kneeling at an angle to the blonde, her head tilted to keep the kiss going. Heather closes her eyes, finally, and releases her tension and resistance. Veronica's eyes flutter open and she pulls away; Heather opens her own eyes and brings herself back up to her knees.

     “Damn,” Veronica says, blinking at Heather with something Heather almost thinks is awe. Veronica swallows. “Damn,” she says again.

     “Yeah,” Heather agrees meekly. “I...wow.”

      Veronica flops down into an Indian-style sitting position, and Heather follows her  lead. They sit staring at each other for several minutes that seem to last hours before Heather gets up the courage to speak. “Is that...was that...do you...I mean...did you want...”

      To Heather's utmost surprise, Veronica laughs.  _Laughs!_ “Oooh, yeah,” she says. “Since, like...oh, god, I don't even know. Since I saved your life, maybe?”

     “That's months,” Heather says. “Why didn't you say something? Before, I mean? Or do something? I don't know.”

      Veronica shrugs. “I didn't exactly feel like coming out in Sherwood, Ohio.” She laughs; Heather is in love with the coarseness of the sound, the bitterness of it. “It's not the most welcoming environment, in case you hadn't noticed. I sort of figured it was better to wait until college – people are more accepting on the east coast, less  _burn the deviant queers at the stake_ !”

     Something occurs to Heather. She furrows her brow. “What about JD, then? You seemed into him. But how could you be, if you're...well, you know. Like this.”

     “Dunno. I mean, I was into him. I like guys – theoretically, at least. In practice, I've learned to reserve judgment. Just, also I like girls? I like you. In case that wasn't clear.”

     “Oh,” Heather says. “Okay.”

     “So...” Veronica raises her eyebrows. “Are you...I mean, was that –” she gestures between them– “the sort of thing you'd be willing to reciprocate if I hadn't caught you off guard, or are you more strictly into football players? Or, guys, in general.”

     Heather wrinkles her nose. “Not football players,” she says. “Not...I like you, too, Veronica.”

     Veronica whistles. “Okay,” she says, nodding. “ Good enough for me.” She extends her arm to offer Heather her hand, and Heather takes it; Veronica  kneels again and leans in and gives Heather a second kiss, this one soft and short. Veronica blinks at her. It's definitely awe.

     Heather smiles at Veronica; her heart flutters in her chest like a million butterflies and it's a nice feeling, one she's glad to find she hasn't forgotten. She reaches up and brushes the hair back from Veronica's face. “I don't think we have to worry about being separated,” she says, “not by something as simple as college, anyways.”

     Veronica laughs. “You make a good point,” she says, and then she leans in to kiss Heather again and Heather melts into it, her lips still curled upwards and her heart still racing. It would be a statement of truth, she thinks, to say _this is good_.

 


End file.
